U.s.-canada Rematch Has The Teams On Edge

MICHAEL MAYO Commentary

NAGANO, Japan _ — Brett Hull and Gary Suter were in a bar the other night when Suter was approached by a Canadian hockey fan.

``Hey Gary, are you still wearing number 20?'' the Canadian said.

``Yeah, why?'' Suter said.

``So I can tell Eric.''

``Eric who?''

``Eric Lindros.''

``I'm not afraid of Eric Lindros.''

And so the stage is set for the long-awaited rematch between Canada and the United States on Monday (11:45 tonight).

When they last met, in the World Cup of Hockey before the 1996 NHL season, the Americans buried the Canadians with a late barrage and walked out of the Molson Centre in Montreal with the title. Trailing 2-1 in the deciding game, the Americans scored four goals in the final 3:18. Canadians were crushed, and the country still hasn't recovered, its national pride wounded.

``There could be some bloodshed,'' said American forward Jeremy Roenick. ``There's a lot of animosity. I think we're going to be feeling each other out for a while and then try to inflict as much pain as possible.''

``Let's be honest,'' said American captain Chris Chelios. ``For the last two years we've had bragging rights, and it's killing them.''

``This is a chance to take it back,'' said Canada's Trevor Linden. ``That's what we're looking forward to.''

``Of course it brings back memories,'' said Eric Desjardins. ``Back home, there's a little bit [of hard feelings), of course. We have to be emotional, but not too much.''

There's an added wrinkle as the teams prepare for the first Olympic meeting featuring NHL players.

Paul Kariya is not here for Canada, sidelined by a concussion incurred by Suter's cross-check across the head in a game between Anaheim and Chicago earlier this month. Suter received a four-game suspension from the league, but he is still eligible to play in international competition.

Roenick said the Canadians ``have an edge on'' because of the incident.

Suter's presence irks Canadian General Manager Bob Clarke.

``He deliberately tried to hurt him,'' Clarke said. ``And the rules allow the player who hurt him to be here. That's something that ought to be looked at. That's not a normal reaction, cross-checking someone across the face after he scores a goal.''

Said Roenick: ``Since when did the Broad Street Bully become the Pope?''

Clarke's griping does come off a tad hypocritical, considering he's the player credited with the game's all-time cheap shot. In the famous seven-game Summit Series against the Soviets in 1972, Clarke axed Valery Kharlamov with his stick, breaking his leg. The Canadians went on to win.

Although many of these players are teammates and friends back home, things have changed in Japan. Suddenly, the conversations are curter, the receptions chillier.

``It's almost like we've woken up on the wrong side of the bed each day we've been here,'' said Roenick. ``It's different.''

Some Canadians are trying to downplay the game, saying it's early in the tournament.

``We're not here to settle scores with certain players,'' Theo Fleury said. ``We're just here to play our game. I don't know what [Jeremy) is talking about.''

``What happened in the World Cup isn't a big deal to us now,'' said Steve Yzerman. ``That's over with. This is a different team. But it may be a good thing. It gave Canadian hockey a jolt and forces us to play harder.''

The American-Canadian rivalry got an added jolt on Saturday from an unlikely source: women. In the first Olympic game between each country's women's teams, the Americans evoked shades of the World Cup. Canada led 4-1 in the third, but the United States scored six unanswered goals to win 7-4.

That sets up Tuesday's gold medal game between the teams perfectly: they are 7-7 in 14 meetings.

As for the men, Canada (2-0) has looked sharp in two victories, 5-0 in its opener against Belarus and a superbly-played 3-2 win against Sweden on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Americans (1-1) have struggled in their first two games, a 4-2 loss to Sweden and a 5-2 win against Belarus in which they scored two 5-on-3 goals.

``We're not where we want to be,'' said goalie Mike Richter. ``We have to establish ourselves as a very hungry, hard-working tough team.''

Said Brian Leetch: ``It's tough when you bring a bunch of guys together, have high expectations and it doesn't happen right away. We've gotten a little frustrated.''

The Americans could find themselves in a tough spot with a loss. They would likely finish third in their bracket and might have to face the Czech Republic (and Dominik Hasek) or Russia in the single-elimination quarterfinal. A trip to the medal round is not assured.

But the Canadians are feeling just as much pressure.

``It's ultra-ultra important, because Canadians don't deal with losing very well,'' Linden said. ``We carry the flag for not only the country and its fans, but every Canadian player that's in the NHL, every Canadian player that's played international hockey, whether it be in the Summit Series or World Championships. There's no feeling like it, and there's no pressure like it. And the Olympics, because it's the first time, probably carries the most pressure. That's what makes it so exciting.''